Ave Maria
by MmmLemony
Summary: Kaidan prays for Shepards safety in the fight against the reapers. (Kaidan / FemShep)


**For anyone interested, the Ave Maria that served as inspiration for this story was composed by Guy Forbes. It's a gorgeous and emotional piece.**

Shepard was called from her nightmare by a lilting baritone voice, beckoning to her and pulling her gently when she would get lost in the fog and caught up in the maze of trees. Left and right she turned, heart racing in her chest, and a wispy sensation beckoning to her, its voice whispering in her ear. '_Shepard,' _it spoke, almost sang. '_Shepard, this way. All will be well, just come this way.'_

And so she followed, weaving in and out of trunks and fallen branches, tripping over exposed roots and reaching out for the owner of the voice blindly. As the commander came into a particular clearing enraptured in lights and hundreds upon hundreds of voicing all talking and calling to eachother, weeping and screaming, moaning and laughing. The woman turned, trying to focus on a fleeting shape that seemed to float just out of sight.

Voices and murmurs would take turns darting towards her before being whisked away. Overwhelmed and becoming dizzy from the whirling, there was one voice she heard over the rest. Shepard fell to her knees, eyes closed, hands reaching for the sky and tears streaming down her face. She pleaded for it to stop, begged for the voices to leave her alone.

Each voice struck something in her, pulled at something in her brain, yanked her in a different direction. Accusations, questions, endearments- they didn't end. Despite her cries and screams they didn't avail.

And then, as if by magic, they ceased. A single voice sounded clearly, the same baritone that had first called to her. It was singing. She didn't know if it had always been singing, but it was now.

'_Ave Maria,' _she dared to open her eyes, body still racked with sobs. '_Gratia plena, dominus tecum.' _Shepard recognized that voice. '_Ave Maria.'_

Shepard awoke, looking at the man sitting on the edge of her bed, naked save a thin bed sheet. Kaidan was hunched over, elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped in front of his lips. He didn't notice that she was awake and kept on singing under his breath, struggling to form words and keep his voice even through his tears and choked sobs. '_Benedicta tu in mulieribus.' _His voice quavered and cracked but he didn't stop, tears slipping down his cheeks and off his sharp jaw.

Kaidan's shoulders shook and he convulsed, unable to push through his weeping for any longer. He cradled his face in his hands, choosing instead to speak through the song, moaning and gasping for breath. His heart was breaking.

Shepard furrowed her brows, worried for her lover, and moved in behind him, resting her head on his bare back and running her hands up and down his arms comfortingly, hushing him with sweet kisses and a mantra of his name on her lips.

The raven haired man stopped and turned to embrace her, face red and wet, chest heaving. He took her into his lap and held her head to him, rocking her back and forth and speaking words she couldn't make out into her hair. Shepard didn't move, she just let him hold her.

Over and over again, he repeated his words, never saying them the same way twice. When she could hear his heartbeat slow and his crying stop, she inclined her head to kiss his lips gently. "What were you doing?" The commander questioned, her own eyes becoming wet, though she didn't know quite why.

"Praying." He answered her in that deep, gravelly voice.

"I didn't know you were religious."

"I'm not." His hands busied themselves with stroking and smoothing her hair, forcing a smile even though his eyes were still puffy.

"What were you praying for?"

"For you." Shepard bit her lip, overcome with a flood of emotions. Her heart clenched and she ran her thumb over his cheek, catching a stray tear. Kaidan chuckled and looked at the floor as if he were embarrassed. "I just figured that, of all the religions there are in this universe, maybe one of them would answer my question."

The pair sat in silence for a long moment, staring at the other and basking in their warmth, Kaidan sniffling every now and then before Shepard plucked up the courage to ask. "What was your question?"

Kaidan fought through a burning throat and another fit of sobs, encircling her body in his arms, as if to keep her safe.

"If you'll survive."


End file.
